Coccinella is the most familiar genus of ladybird (or, in North America, ladybug). The elytra of most species are of a red or orange colour, punctuated with black spots or bands. The genus occurs throughout the Northern Hemisphere, but has only 11 species native to North America, with far more in Eurasia.

Coccinella
Coccinella transversalis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Coccinellidae
Subfamily: Coccinellinae
Genus: Coccinella
Linnaeus, 1758[1]
Type species
Coccinella septempunctata
Linnaeus, 1758

Its name comes from Latin coccineus, referring to the color scarlet.

Adults and larvae are voracious predators of aphids, and some species (e.g. C. septempunctata) are used as biological control agents.

Selected species

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According to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, 94 individual species of Coccinella are listed in the genus.[2]

Numerous other species, including C. ainu, C. alta, C. difficilis, C. fulgida or C. hasegawai currently have no individual entries here.

References

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  1. ^ "ITIS standard report - Coccinella (Linnaeus, 1758)". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Coccinella Linnaeus, 1758". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
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